Ian Kennedy was suspended 10 games by Major League Baseball on Friday morning for his role in last Tuesday night’s benches-clearing brawl between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers in Los Angeles. It was the longest suspension handed out to any player or coach involved in the fight and the lengthiest non-PED related penalty given to any pitcher since 2005.

The right-hander is appealing, and he feels like he has a decent case. Here’s what he told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic before the Diamondbacks’ loss to the Padres on Saturday night in San Diego:

“The guys in the past, with their first offense, have gotten around a five-game suspension, five or six,” Kennedy said. “I don’t understand why mine would be any different, why mine would be 10 when some people’s second offense was even less.”

“After doing research and talking to (agent) Scott (Boras) and finding out the numbers, it doesn’t really line up. I’m going to throw inside and hit people. But 10 games just doesn’t make sense.”

Kennedy did seem to aim a pitch directly at the head of Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig and another at the head of $147 million man Zack Greinke, though that type of stuff has happened many times before in baseball’s recent and not-so-recent past without prompting 10-game sentences.

Hit two people in the head in the same game and you’re just mystified at being punished… only a Trojan could be that thick-headed and entitled. Maybe criminal charges would get the point home… your agent says it isn’t right, what a shock.